Moose and young in Berlin, New Hampshire. Moose rely on New England’s streams and rivers for water and habitat. Flickr photo by Dave Spier.

This week, the governors of New England states are meeting with leaders of Canada’s Eastern provinces in the mountains of New Hampshire, at the annual New England Governors and Eastern Premiers Conference.

As they make plans and consider policies for the coming years, now is a good time for our leaders to discuss the incredible opportunity to build on progress made throughout the region, keep dirty fuels out and build a clean energy future..

It’s meaningful that the conference, which is being held in Bretton Woods this year, is located only a few towns from the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line’s path through New Hampshire, which transports oil from South Portland, Maine, to Montreal. The pipeline—and its potential use for transporting climate disrupting tar sands oil in the opposite direction for export—is a symbol of the crossroads at which the United States and Canada currently stand. Will we continue to lock ourselves into fossil fuel infrastructure for 50, 70, maybe even 100 more years? Or will we say “No” to the dirtiest fuels and continue the move toward clean energy? Our governors and regional premiers have already shown leadership on this question, and they can use this conference to take the next step.

Recognizing the tar sands threat to the Northeast

Tar sands oil has the potential to pollute New England and Canada’s shared water and air, and to negate the hard work our leaders have done to make the Northeast a leader on addressing climate change. Not only does new infrastructure pose the threat of spills from pipelines, tankers and trains, the fact is that without action to keep tar sands out of our gas tanks, tar sands-derived fuels could make up as much as 18% of our regional fuel supply by 2020 (enough to negate the region’s carbon emissions reductions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative).

The invasion of tar sands oil poses a huge threat to wildlife and habitat throughout the Northeast. Moose, trout, ducks, and so many other species rely on the clean water of our rivers and streams for drinking water and habitat – scores of which would face the threat of pollution under a tar sands spill. Climate change is already having a devastating impact on New Hampshire’s moose population. And at the source, the tar sands industry is decimating pristine forest in Alberta that our most loved migratory birds need for nesting.

Keeping Tar Sands Out of Our Region

There are several steps our leaders can take together to keep New England and Eastern Canada tar sands free:

Recognize the threat posed to the region by infrastructure proposals that would bring tar sands across our rivers, streams, farms and towns, and reject such proposals. This includes standing in the way of the Energy East pipeline, which would carry up to 1.1 million barrels of tar sands crude per day through Quebec to New Brunswick; and blocking the use of the Portland-Montreal pipeline for tar sands transport. It also means ensuring that any current movement of oil—by pipeline or rail—is only done in the safest possible manner, which is currently not the case. Regional leaders should be pushing Washington to improve safety regulations for oil transport.

Take steps to keep high-carbon fuels out of the region’s fuel mix, so we know we aren’t putting tar sands-derived fuel in our gas tanks even while we work to stop it from coming through our pipelines. This piece is already in motion—in 2009, 11 governors stated their commitments to keeping tar sands out of our tanks, and this year both Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont and Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire have indicated a willingness to act. Now it’s time to expand this fight to bigger states in the region, especially Massachusetts, whose choices have enormous power to influence the direction of New England’s fuel mix.

Build on efforts in New Hampshire to make sure the state is prepared to respond in case of a spill from existing infrastructure, by making sure communities have funding and tools needed to clean up and protect themselves.

Momentum has been building to keep tar sands out of New England, from a Jurisdictional Opinion in 2013 stating that any proposal to use the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line would be subject to Act 250 review in Vermont, to massive public engagement leading to South Portland taking steps to establish an ordinance that would protect the city from tar sands. However, these local fights must be considered in tandem with fights across the country, such as the battle to stop the controversial Keystone XL pipeline; taken together, they highlight the need for a federal policy that makes President Obama’s climate test the norm, and ensures that major infrastructure choices are only made if they are consistent with efforts to cut carbon pollution.

Take Action for Wildlife

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/meeting-of-governors-and-premiers-a-big-opportunity-for-northeast-wildlife/feed/0Hunters and Anglers Can’t Afford to Double Down on Denialhttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/06/dont-on-denial-3-sportsmen/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/06/dont-on-denial-3-sportsmen/#commentsMon, 02 Jun 2014 15:58:43 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=96184Hunters and anglers have been on the front lines of several major environmental policy battles over the years, including playing a major role in passing the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, eliminating acid rain, and establishing more public lands throughout the country. Now hunters and anglers face the greatest challenge to our sporting traditions yet: a warming climate.

Climate change is already having significant impacts on fish and game animals and their habitats, putting hunters and anglers on the front lines of climate policy. Many sportsmen and women are seeing climate change restrict their hunting and fishing opportunities and are very concerned about what climate change means to the future of our sports. Thankfully, an increasing number of sportsmen and sportswomen are up to the challenge.

Sportsmen, conservationist and citizen lobbyist Chris Crosby plays a trout on Colorado’s South Platte River May 20. Photo by Russell Bassett

Chris Crosby is one such sportsmen. From an early age growing up in Minnesota through the present day in his adopted home state of Colorado, Crosby has hunted and fished his whole life.

“My favorite thing used to be duck hunting, and now it’s trout fishing,” the 77-year-old Crosby said, pausing to adjust his hearing aid and then adding with a wry chuckle, “I mostly fish now because my ears are damaged from shooting guns too much.”

Crosby is known throughout Colorado, and especially at the capitol in Denver, as a dedicated volunteer lobbyist on behalf of wildlife conservation, hunting and fishing. A retired farm and ranch real estate broker with four children and 10 grandchildren, Crosby has been lobbying Colorado governors, federal and state legislators, and local leaders for decades to get them to value Colorado’s fish and game.

He’s not affiliated with any particular organization, but is a private citizen who wants to make the world a better place for his grandchildren. He sees climate change as the biggest threat to not only hunting and fishing in Colorado, but also the health and welfare of all people.

“The future my grandkids will have to deal with is scary because of climate change’s impacts on food and water in many counties, especially in Asia,” Crosby said, referencing one scientific report after another to justify his comments. “My grandkids are not going to have the opportunities that I had because of climate change, and that makes me want to do all I can about it now for their sake.”

A proud moment for any sportsmen grandfather is when he gets his grandchildren into fish. Photo courtesy the Crosby family.

Crosby, like many veteran sportsmen and women, are seeing the effects of climate change first hand. He shakes his head in frustration as he mentions his favorite Montana trout streams that are now closed to fishing in August and September because the water temperatures are too hot. He also laments how Colorado’s tailwater fisheries produce fish that are so exhausted due to stream warmth that he worries they are not surviving after release.

“We used to have a great deal of duck hunting 40 years ago in Colorado, but now we have fewer ducks and they are coming down later in the fall,” he continued. “This is just anecdotal — I’ve noticed this over the last 20-30 years of observation in the field — we also see that our elk hunts are like walking through a bowl of rice crispies, the ground is so dry and warm, and now many states are seeing moose die from ticks.”

Once Crosby gets started talking, his passion for fish and game and his frustration with climate change deniers becomes more and more evident.

“Pheasants, trout, big horn sheep, mule deer and elk, walleye, smallmouth bass, antelope, muskies, rocky mountain goats, sage grouse, lesser prairie chicken, and chukars: they are all going to have to shift north as the southern states get too hot and dry for them to survive,” he said, his voice rising while counting off the species on his hands. “Also shifting north will be the feral swine, the African killer bees, and malaria mosquitoes. All will be shifting north. Basically hotter and dryer is tough on most game animals, and it’s also tough on wildlife agency budgets, leaving less money for access and habitat.”

Crosby is among a new breed of sportsmen who refuse to deny what they are seeing for themselves firsthand, and are willing to take the tough stands — even bucking their own political party in many cases — to do something about it.

“Not too long ago conservation was not a polarizing issue, many Republicans were conservationists,” lamented Crosby. “Anti-conservation is not only unhealthy, it’s also bad economics. The economy is not going to do well with failing nations all over the world at war with each for diminishing food and water. The stock market is very influenced by uncertainty and political instability.”

In many ways, sportsmen and sportswomen like Crosby are uniquely situated to make a difference to curb climate change because sporting traditions and sportsmen’s conservation concerns cross party lines. At least in the near future, the carbon-producing industries and their politicians on the far right are not going to listen to the environmentalists of the far left. Those two sides are too firmly entrenched, but the right will have to listen to hunters and anglers, especially ones in their own party who have had enough of lost sporting opportunity and are willing to take the tough stands needed to ensure hunting and fishing opportunities for their children and grandchildren. In many red states throughout the country, environmentalists cannot even get in the state capitol door (figuratively speaking), but both parties still respect sportsmen and women. The ecumenical community is another voice that needs to be loud and strong to curb climate change, because it also can cross party lines.

“Sportsmen must put pressure on politicians to do more with renewable energy and less subsidies for fossil fuels,” Crosby said. “All the things we can do, we should be doing very, very quickly because we are going to get past the tipping point that no matter what we do, we won’t be able to stop greenhouse gases and the temperature will continue to rise.”

Climate change poses an immediate and specific threat to hunting and fishing in America, challenging the traditions and values of sportsmen and sportswomen, our respect for the land, and the legacy we leave to future generations. America’s hunters and anglers must demand our political leaders lay out their plans for protecting our air, water, wildlife and public lands. We can’t destroy America’s great outdoors and leave whatever’s left of the mess for our children and grandchildren to clean up. Sportsmen and women have been an important voice for fish, game and outdoor recreation in past environmental policy, and we must be so again.

One very important step we can all take right now is to cut the carbon pollution that currently is on track to cause significant warming by mid-century. Carbon emissions can be addressed by implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. Incredibly, nearly 40 percent of all U.S. carbon pollution comes from just one source — power plants. Limiting emissions from power plants is a critical step towards slowing the warming temperatures that harm our fish, game and sporting traditions.

Looking for other ways to be involved? Join the team! The National Wildlife Federation is building our strong and dedicated team of sportsmen and sportswomen advocates, and we want YOU on the team! When you join today, you will receive news, updates, and action opportunities focused on conserving the fish and game animals that sportsmen and sportswomen cherish. You will be also be entered to win some great outdoor prizes!

“Think about what your core values are, and I bet each and every one us would include clean air, clean water and safe food,” Crosby concluded. “What’s important to my kids and grandkids is having a healthy place to live, and if we do not address climate change, they will not have that. It’s really that simple. Climate change is the mother of all game changers.”

I’m looking forward to joining the Montana Wildlife Federation Saturday April 17 to celebrate 75 years of success. National Wildlife Federation shares Montana Wildlife Federation’s conservation values and history. At the first gathering of the North American Wildlife Conference in 1936, where National Wildlife Federation was formed, Montana sent five delegates to that meeting. They went back and started Montana Wildlife Federation.

Montana Wildlife Federation has been fighting for Montana’s wildlife ever since, which is a good thing since Montana’s wildlife is facing some of their toughest challenges ever:

Due to warmer winter temperatures and less precipitation, most Montana rivers are at 50% of their snowpack.

Fishing restrictions in Montana are expected to start as early as July this year. This has happened in five of the past seven years. This is no longer the trend but the norm.

The current drought in the West is the worst in 500 years.

Warmer, drier conditions have caused a fourfold increase in the number of wildfires in the West. The acreage burned by wildfires will double by 2100. Montana will be particularly hard hit. One doesn’t have to look far to see red and dying trees caused by mountain pine bark beetles. Upwards of 70% of some Montana forests have been affected.

Big sagebrush habitats could decline by almost 60%.

This will have devastating consequences on sage grouse, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope.

Higher stream temperatures could reduce cold water trout habitat up to 50% percent in Montana.

Up to 90 percent of Prairie Potholes would be destroyed by global warming. The Prairie Potholes are America’s “duck factory.”

Montana’s youth are facing the indoors deficit facing children across the country – the typical child today spends over seven hours a day in front of a screen and only four to seven minutes a day in unstructured playtime outdoors.

Montana’s outdoors industry is threatened as wildlife is on the frontlines. Over half of Montanans hunt and fish, and outdoor recreation results in $1.1 billion in consumer spending and 21,755 jobs created.

I’m looking forward on Saturday to joining the courageous men and women of Montana Wildlife Federation who are “mapping out a course of action and following it to the end” to protect Montana’s most special places and get Montana’s kids outdoors to inspire a love of nature.